When I make this recipe sometimes I serve it with brown rice and other times with baked potatoes. Either way is great, it really depends what I am in the mood that day.

This recipe literally takes just 15-20 minutes to make. You see, tuna doesn’t have to be cooked that long so that is why it doesn’t take that long. While you can make this 15 minutes Fresh Spanish tuna stew with chicken it will take a bit longer since chicken requires more time.

I use two different types of wine when I make this recipe, however, if you can’t get the second type just use white wine. It will still taste great.

I always use fresh rosemary but you can use dried rosemary. I find fresh rosemary is better but use what you prefer. This is a recipe that I been making over and over again. It is super tasty, easy and healthy.

On another note, I am almost done with school. I have about five more months of grueling study nights. It has been a long journey especially because of how I have experienced certain unpleasant situations in school. But more of that when I am done.

There are nothing but good things that will come after these five months go by. I am hoping to help many people once I am done but for now I have to keep my mind on the price.

Anyways, until my next recipe, I hope you get to make this tuna stew.

Enjoy!

15 minutes Fresh Spanish tuna stew

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs fresh tuna, cut into chunks
• 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup dried white white
• 10 oz fresh spinach
• 3 tsp arrowroot powder, or cornstarch
• .5 oz fresh rosemary, you can also use dried rosemary
• 1 tsp celtic salt

Directions:

In a 6 qt Duth oven, over medium to high heat, add the oil and onion. Cook for about 3 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic, fresh rosemary and salt. Combine and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and cook for 2-3 minutes or until it reduces by half.

Add the tuna and 1 cup of water. Toss around and cover the pan. Let the tuna cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Mix the arrowroot powder and 2 tbsp of water. Add to the pan and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Turn the heat off and add the fresh spinach. Combine (the spinach will wilt). Serve tuna over rice or baked potatoes.

NOTE: At the end of the cooking I add a splash of amontillado wine which is a type of dried sherry. This is optional but if you can find it I highly suggested.

The post 15 minutes Fresh tuna Spanish stew appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

Typically, around the holidays, foods that we enjoy the most are finger type foods. Tapas style is most predominant in our culture, especially in the South. Rather than sit around the table people stand and walk around interacting with family members.

For us, food is a huge component around the holidays. Everyone is always excited to gather around and enjoy the company and food. It is most definitely one of the ways we like to strengthen bonds with family and friends around this time.

Because my food philosophy involves trying to keep things healthier, rather than deep frying these potato croquettes, which would have been the conventional way of preparing them, I decided to bake them instead. I was a little bit skeptical at first but with the ingredients I choose, especially Land O’Lakes® Salted Butter, it made the croquettes taste out of this world. I also made sure to add plenty of garlic and together with the butter together this was a match made in heaven. We Spaniards love garlic!

Land O’Lakes® Butter always makes everything taste better so I was very pleased at how they turned out. Not only I was pleased but so was my family, which are the toughest critics. In the end, there were no croquettes left so that was a good sign as well.

You could also serve these potato croquettes with a dipping sauce. In Spain we tend to eat croquettes plain, since they are already tasty enough, but if you like some sort of sauce go ahead. I am sure they will still taste terrific!

I am looking forward to the rest of the holiday season and to see what else my family and I can share around the table. These potato croquettes have definitely been a huge success so I hope to match whatever I make for them next.

Enjoy!

This recipe is sponsored by Land O’Lakes® Butter. The opinions and text are all mine. The end.

Potato Croquettes

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 24 croquettes

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb potatoes
• ¼ cup milk
• 1/4 cup Land O’Lakes® Salted Butter
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2-3 tsp olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups Panko bread crumbs

Directions:

Boil potatoes until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain potatoes and let them cool. Peel potatoes and add to a large mixing bowl. Mash potatoes with milk, butter, and salt. Set aside.

Add olive oil to a nonstick skillet. Add the carrots, peppers and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until they soften, 2-3 minutes. Add the vegetable mixture to the potatoes and mix until combined. Also add the chopped parsley. At this time you can preheat oven to 450F.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Measure out approx. 2 tbsp of potato mixture, roll it into a ball and flatten into a patty. Arrange patties on parchment paper.

Place panko bread crumbs in a plate and bitten egg on another. Dip each croquette on the beaten egg followed by the panko break crumbs. Place them back into the prepared baking sheet already breaded.

Repeat this step with the mixture until you are done using it all. Bake croquettes for 10 minutes on each side. Serve while they are still warm.

The post Potato Croquettes appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

All it took to makes this tasty salad was a few fresh ingredients and a few minutes. Just chopping away some ingredients for 5 minutes and mixing them in a large bowl was all it took.

To dress the salad and give it some taste I used Marzetti^® Simply Dressed^® Balsamic Dressing which is made of simple ingredients that enhances the freshness of any salad’s flavor. Simply Dressed Dressing is a choice you can feel good about.

Their products can be found in stores near the classic dressings in the refrigerated produce section. You will be able to find a variety of flavors so make sure you use your favorite. This shrimp Mediterranean salad however goes great with the balsamic variety.

I have made this shrimp mediterranean salad multiple occasions and even adding pasta to it is great. You can also swap any of the veggies, as this recipe is very versatile. Anything goes, you can’t go wrong with your own choice.

If you would also like to keep this recipe strictly vegetarian you can omit the shrimp. I always have my freezer stocked with cooked shrimp, as I prefer seafood and fish than poultry or meat.

GIVEAWAY

I am pleased to inform you that The Marzetti Brand is providing Eat Good 4 Life readers with a $50 gift card. All you have to do is comment in the section below and let me know what variety of Marzetti^® Simply Dressed^® Balsamic Dressing you would love to use for your salad and why. Very simple!

Rules:

• You must be 18 yrs old to enter

• Only US resident

• I will announce the winner 7/7

I love how convenient salads are, how versatile and easy they can be. They make the perfect to go recipes for me and my family especially when I am super busy and I want something light and fresh.

I hope you get to make this refreshing shrimp mediterranean salad. The combo of ingredients is just out of this world and the fresh herbs takes it to the next level.

Enjoy!

Shrimp mediterranean salad

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb cooked peeled shrimp
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 8 oz pitted kalamata olives, sliced
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 1 large cucumber, sliced
• 6 oz Feta cheese
• 2 oz fresh dill, chopped
• 1/2 cup Marzetti^® Simply Dressed^® Balsamic Dressing

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl and all the ingredients. Add the salad dressing and toss to combine.

Serve immediately.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Marzetti. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Shrimp mediterranean salad appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I love the fact that paella can be cooked in one pot and there is not much cleaning to do. While you can make paella with just seafood or chicken and other meats today I opted for just using chorizo to infuse the quinoa and other ingredients with its flavor.

There is not many times that we get to eat meat and chicken but while in Spain anything goes. I have bought chorizo in the USA before at many different grocery stores so I am sure you will be able to purchase it there. If you would like to keep this dish vegan and vegetarian you can use soy chorizo which is also readily available at grocery stores. I have gotten it at Trader Joe’s before.

I like to use quinoa for many of my recipes that calls for rice. I like to add variations and since quinoa is still gluten free and cooks pretty easily as well is a great substitution ingredient for me to use.

For this recipe I use Bob’s Red Mill whole grain quinoa. You can directly buy it from their website or at the grocery store. You can also use any of their line of quinoa instead of the white kind. Bob’s Red Mill has a large variety of flours, cereals, grains, seeds and many products that are also gluten free so make sure you check their products while on their site. They have anything you will need for your baking as well.

Paella is one of the most popular dishes in Spain. Depending on the area that you are in it is made with different ingredients.  All of them equally delicious  but this is my healthier different take on Paella. I hope you like it.

Enjoy!

Quinoa chorizo paella

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups quinoa
• 8 oz chorizo, chopped
• 3 large fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp celtic salt
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 lemon, juice
• chopped parsley

Directions:

In a large non-stick paella pan or any other round pan of your choice, over medium to high heat, place the chopped chorizo and onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the chorizo starts releasing the oil and the onion is starting to become translucent.

Add the chopped tomatoes and salt and cook further for 2 minutes. Add the quinoa and stir. Add 4 cups of hot water and stir. Let the water cook out. When the 4 cups have evaporated, add another cup of hot water and the peas. Let the water cook out. At this stage the quinoa should be cooked.

Turn the heat off and add the juice of 1 lemon and chopped parsley. Serve while still hot.

The post Quinoa chorizo paella appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I am on a quest to start making conventional recipes this year with a healthier take. This barley paella is my starting point. While paella uses white rice, a rice very similar used in risotto, I decided to use barley which is a grain that contains more fiber, minerals and vitamins than plain old white rice.

I actually hardly ever use white rice. Even when making my own sushi I do use brown rice sushi which you can be found at Asian stores.

I actually want to make a seafood paella version perhaps even using a different grain. I have something in mind that I hope it turns out good so stay tuned for that one.

I actually made this dish for Christmas while visiting my brother in Vegas. His kitchen is not very equipped so I had to go out and buy a couple of pots and pans as well as some dishes. He hardly ever cooks at home so even when we spent $300 on groceries he made sure he let me know to finish every single item since he wouldn’t be using none of it. Eating out in Las Vegas is pretty cheap and being a bachelor sometimes cooking is not a priority. Plus he works crazy hours so having a well stocked kitchen is not a must for him.

At home I actually have a real paella pan I brought from Spain. On my next paella recipes I will for sure use my paella pan. Presentation is also important for me so I will be sure to show you my pan. You can buy some here in the US as well so if you ever want to buy the real thing here is the link for it.

The barley is a great alternative to white rice so if you try this recipe you can do either one. Barley is a much healthier option so I hope you will try that.

Enjoy!

Barley paella

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped into small cubes
• 6 oz dried chorizo, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups barley
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 7 oz canned clams, drained
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 oz fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt
• Lemon wedges, for serving, optional
• Pepper flakes, optional

Directions:

In a 6 qt ducth oven, paella pan,  or any other pan you may have, over medium to high heat add the chopped chorizo and cook until fragrant and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the olive oil and add the onion, carrots, garlic and cook for 5-7 minutes until translucent. Add the barley, tomato paste, chorizo, peas, salt and stir. Add 5 cups of hot water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook adding more liquid as it evaporates doing this until the barley is tender.

With the type of barley I used my cooking time was about 30 minutes until the barley become tender, however, using other varieties may take up to 50 minutes. When the barley is tender add the clams, parsley and pepper flakes if using. Stir and serve while still warm with lemon wedges.

NOTE: I do most of my shopping at Trader Joes. While you can find certain items I used for this recipe on Amazon they are extremely cheaper at the store.

The post Barley paella appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

Here is recipe number two from the Tabasco 10 ingredient challenge.

This one was another easy recipe with few ingredients that it is perfect for any weeknight dinner. This recipe is full of protein and fiber, two healthy nutrition components of a well balance diet.

The preparation time is almost none existent. Besides chopping the chicken and the onion there is not much to do so if you are looking for a well balance nutritional meal that requires hardly any preparation look no further.

Again, for this recipe, I kept the amount of Tabasco to the medium side. My kids do enjoy the occasional spicy food, not too spicy, just a tad spicy, so feel free to add a bit more. My husband did and so did I so when preparing the recipe, you can double the amount of Tabasco for some extra heat.

This dinner also freezes really well. I actually do try to make a bit more quantity at each dinner so that I don’t have to cook each night. I just make sure that I take my leftover frozen dinners the morning off and I am good to go at night.

Tomorrow I will be posting recipe number three of the 10 ingredient Tabasco challenge. Another winner recipe especially on my husbands book so I hope you stay tuned for that one too.

Enjoy!

In a large skillet, over medium to high heat, add the chicken and onions and cook until the chicken has browned a bit, about 3-5 minutes. After that you can add the remainder of the ingredients and cook until the rice is tender. It will take approximately 25 minutes.

Here can see how liquid like it looks but after about 25 minutes the water will be absorbed and the rice will become tender. If you feel like the water has been absorbed and the rice is still hard you can add more water and let the rice cook an extra few minutes.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Tabasco and it contains affiliate links. Tabasco compensated me for the time spent developing and photographing this recipe. All opinions are 100% my own. My sponsors help make this blog possible. The end :-)

No-fuss black beans, chicken and rice

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4-5 servings

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs of organic chicken, cut into small chunks
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 15oz canned black beans, drained
• 1 14oz canned chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Tabasco® original sauce, more if you like
• 3 green onions chopped
• 2 cups brown rice, this is the one I used
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt

Directions:

In a large skillet, over medium to high heat, add the oil,  chopped onion and chicken and cook for about 3-5 minutes until the chicken has browned a bit. Add the remainder of the ingredients except the chopped green onions.

Turn the heat to medium-low and add 4 cups of water. Mix the ingredients through and let it stand, covered for 20 -25 minutes or until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed. Make sure you keep an eye on the rice in case there is more water needed before the rice is tender.

Garnish the rice with the chopped onions and serve while still warm.

Nutrition facts calculated based on the recipe giving 5 servings.

The post No-fuss Black beans, chicken and rice appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.